RWBYFanon v5
RPG World of Remnant => The Vale Region => Beacon Academy => Topic started by: ArosFarron on November 27, 2017, 09:36:45 AM
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It's the most wonderful time of the year and Liliana knew it was. She had planned for months to get everything right for this event. Everything was ready. The tree was up next to the stage, Poinsettias on all the tables, food being prepared. She was excited and worried at the same time. Having worked on everything by herself, she was feeling the stress of it all. She wanted to just give up and walk away. She knew however that she would just go back to do it anyway. After hours of prep, she gave a sigh and a smile. She was done setting up and was leaving to work on her set list and rehearse.
Later that night
Lily greeted every student and teacher as they walked in. Her long rose red dress stood out among everyone else and complimented her cherry blossom pink hair. She had a small mic attached around her ear as shortly after everyone had arrived she was going to being her set and then mingle with other students.
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Managing to secure himself a position in the kitchen Calen was sure to keep himself busy to avoid the memories of Christmases past. And drunk. 'Accidentally' misreading the schools recipe for non-alcoholic mulled wine with grape juice becoming sherry had a very quick impact on the gaunt boy keeping his mind nicely muddling. Luckily the meals wasn't anything he hadn't prepared a thousand times so the exact extent of Calen's drinking hadn't become obvious although the smell of ethanol filled the kitchen. Finishing his little part in the food preparation as well as effectively spiking the 'non-alcoholic' mulled wine Calen slipped off with a hearty mug of the stuff to doze in the rafters.
Awoken by the sounds of people entering the hall Calen found himself both too and not drunk enough but still forced to intermingle if he was going to fix the second issue. Luckily almost always wearing a suit had it's advantages as Calen was already dress for the formal including a holiday themed tie and a branch of mistletoe pinned over his breast. Almost subconsciously Calen straightened out his clothes rumpled by his sleep and quickly made his way down to the main floor. Not exactly managing to walk in a straight line but Calen did manage to put on the front of not being already totally smashed as he truly was.
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Abigail sighed. Pulling a finger from their ear from dealing with the music her aura was producing. Wearing a white and black dress, she'd look at the entrance of the party before heading in, their semblance sizzling away as the stress and intensity of actually attending faded away. It's not like they had made friends so far into the year who would have attended with them.
Looking over at Lily, she'd spot the microphone, a small hint of a frown on her face flashing over her face before she went for a glass of water and sat to the side, moving her thumb around the side of the glass in a circular motion.
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The winter holidays. A time of joy and delight to many... a source of painful, solemn memories for others.
Rory knew with absolute certainty which category he fell into, and it wasn't the fun one. As decorations began going up throughout the city, as multicolored lights gleamed from storefront windows and festive greetings echoed in the ever more frosty air, he smiled... but only outwardly. This was supposed to be a time that brought people together with goodwill, yet looking back so many of his holiday memories carried shadows... and those that didn't rang false alongside those that did. When "home" isn't safe and "family" can't be trusted, celebrations turn into theater-under-threat and that which is meant to be delightful sours and curdles. He'd never let anyone know it, of course, but the memories still tore at him like a pack of Beowolves with every carol and ornament. Which is why he usually tried to spend this season to himself as much as possible.
This year... would not be so easy.
When Fabled Goods ended up being enlisted to bake for the Beacon Holiday Formal, Mr. Chadwick had thrown himself into it with giddy abandon: festive cakes and pies, honeyed rolls and nutmeg twists, savory and cheesy biscuits, maple blackberry danish, eggnog loaf with a caramel-vanilla twist glaze... and, of course, plum pudding. So many plum puddings! Rory could say with confidence he'd never seen that many plums before in his entire life, and of course the entire bakery staff, Rory included, had been recruited to help bake, decorate, and carefully bundle the whole order. It was overwhelming, but that should have been the end of it. It wasn't. Chadwick had insisted that Rory help with the delivery, and further insisted on covering the young shieldmeister's ticket to the event. And now here they were, running behind schedule and rolling huge trays of baked treats towards the event hall entrance. Rory had no idea who was running the show but hoped desperately that the delay wasn't giving him or her a panic attack.
"Think of it as making a grand entrance!" Alec joked, trying to soothe the boy's concern and agitation. "Food this good deserves a warm welcome, after all!"
"... If you say so boss."
"C'mon Rory, cheer up a bit. You'll ruin the party with a frown like that!" Turning a corner, the pair finally came in sight of the right door. "Here we go -- remember the festive cheer, now!"
People were still streaming in; it was a bit of a challenge to wind their way through the crowd, but after a few "excuse me"s, "sorry"s, and "pastry coming through"s, they finally got to the door way. Alec turned to see the hostess personally greeting people as they came through. "Miss Blossom, I believe? Happy holidays! Alec Chadwick, here with your order from Fabled Goods bakery. Should we wheel these into the kitchen, or did you want the trays set up somewhere?"
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Winter holiday! ...Yeah it would be much nicer if his teammates are present. Catalina Glenn kinda wanted to wear another of his T-shirt, the one in purple and black, with a round shield that also have an hourglass on it. But fine, trying to conform to the rules lest he either is denied entry or makes a scene. He makes it back to Liliana after getting a can of cola(it's always cola) noting Calen on the way, attempting to subtly use his semblance to make more room as he walked.
"Miss Liliana? I'm Catalina, we've met before. Just dropping in to say good job organizing this. Well done."
Winter holiday! Happy times! ...Even happier times for Sheer Gold if he can make some friends! So maybe he'll make some now? But where to start... Man, if only there's someone to start introducing people to each other...
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♪Iiit's the most wonderful tiiiime ooooof the yeeeaaaar♪
Razzy loved a great many things. He loved his friends and family, he loved cute animals and pictures of said animals. He loved a nice cake and he loved to sing. He loved to dream and to play. But there were few things in this world that Razzmatazz Gele loved more than the holidays.
What he, quite possible, liked the most about the holidays was how people would all get together to have fun and celebrate, giving each other gifts and sharing the love. To him, it was a magical time full of miracles. He still had a child-like naivety about the world, you could say, and nothing could bring him down.
And so, he had arrived, dressed in the usual casual outfit which he had brought to most events like these, despite suggestions from his peers to 'maybe get a suit or something', but with one important addition: a santa hat with a large, fluffy ball hanging from it, almost as big as a fist. He was looking festive as heck tonight.
The boy skipped into the room after giving the greeter a big, happy hug, then stopped on the balls of his feet, taking in the decorations, amount of people and food around. As was the usual case, he made a beeline for the food, hugging people and wishing happy holidays to everyone he passed by. The boy was like an excited little ball of happiness and color, even among the festivities.
The only good thing about events like these was that you could always tell who around you was even worth your time. The pink-haired nuisance who hadn't even bothered to wear a suit, for example, would have nothing to do with Reginald tonight.
Reggie had come, of course, because no party would be complete without the most prestigious cunt sneeze at Beacon being present. Yes, he was there, with his purple suit and stupid fucking wig. He looked like a total tool from a distance, and it wasn't much better up close; his posture and facial expression as he scanned the room showed disgust and judgement. Sure, he had come to the party, but that didn't mean he understood it.
This entire 'present' thing always seemed preposterous to him. Did these poor peasants really need a separate holiday just for other people to buy them things? Truly, he pitied them. And so, he stood to the side, having almost entirely ignored the person greeting him, and hoped that he could find someone who he could see as an equal. The chances remained slim.
Ever since Anza had been a little girl, formal events like these had been her bread and butter. Yes, going out, jumping across rooftops and fighting grimm was all great fun, but events like these could be just as exciting. The people attending them were like a single living organism, intermingling and chatting, discussing important and trivial matters alike, seeking companionship or distancing themselves, all of it creating an atmospehere which made one think that just about anything could happen. Anza absolutely adored it.
There was one key difference from the usual formal events she had gone to with her parents, though. This time around, the crowd mostly consisted of people her age. Many of them being cute boys. A coy smile made its way onto the girl's face. She had gone out of her way to look her best tonight, after all. The girl had gone for a long, shiny, nyanza-colored dress with her usual burgundy gloves on her arms. She wore a pair of deep red heels, currently obscured by her dress, and had opted to put on a silver necklace and a pair of ruby earrings, both recent gifts from her mother. And yet, she hadn't put on any makeup aside from burgundy lipstick, and her hair still had several stray locks going in diffrent directions. She never liked makeup, and, as a result, was usually ignored as just that plain, polite girl at events like these. Before, it had allowed her to eavesdrop on the craziest conversations, but today would be different.
Today, she would socialize! But, with who?
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Lily smiled at Alec. "Thank you Mr. Chadwick for this with such short notice. You usually have what, 3-4 months before an event? And for the food, just set it over next to the ice sculpture of the Ursa. I'll set it where it needs to go. After all this party is for all Beacon students and teachers, both former and current." She gave him a warm smile and shook his hand. She wished him the best before turning to Catalina. Her happy demeanor quickly faded to embarrassment. "Welcome Catalina. I am sorry for how our battle turned out in the Festival. I would love to fight you again in a much more casual format. Congrats on making as far as you did. Please enjoy" She looked away before wishing him the best.
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Blair arrived shortly after everyone else had. She had some trouble trying to find a decent outfit to wear to the party as she had not really thought of parties here. She luckily had some help from others who took her into town the day before and found an elegant sky blue gown that matched her hair and a small daisy hair band. Her hair was tied up in a way that extenuated her face. While not usually dressed like this, as she walked in, she had eyes all over her. She blushed before finding a table and sitting down.
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Merletta arrived just before Alec did and sulked in the back of the room. While festivities were not her usual idea, this one was different. She had returned to Vale to visit the grave of her wife. She had eventually decided to pay a visit to Beacon and had found out about the formal. She managed to get her dress in time and arrived. She still was not going to mingle, just being there was enough to ease her mind from thoughts of the past.
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"My pleasure -- and thank you! We'll both stick around for the festivities!" Chadwick gently elbowed Rory on the word 'both', indicating that staying and socializing wasn't optional (if he wanted a ride back home, at any rate). Taking the hint -- and not wanting to be unreasonable just because the holiday put him in a gloomy frame of mind -- the shield fighter mustered a smile and bowed his head slightly. "Thank you for the invitation."
Letting Lily attend to the rest of the line, the two of them rolled the carts over to where she'd indicated and deftly undid the bows and wrapping paper that were (somewhat hastily) secured over the goodies. Soft bakery scents began to mingle with the other festive aromas in the room, sure to draw a few curious or hungry people's interest. Clapping Rory on the shoulder encouragingly, Chadwick nodded over towards the refreshment table. "C'mon, let's grab some punch. Then you can hear this old man spin a few yarns about what student parties were like back in my day!"
"Oh joy. I'm sure I won't regret this conversation one bit..." The blatant sarcasm in Rory's voice was only half-faked.
The winter holidays were always something of an... odd season for Dr. Budonoki. With the song of nature ever the background music of his life the chill, dark days at the years' endings and beginnings were a curious time. Contrary to what many thought, the verdant world didn't so much "die back" during winter as it did "fall asleep"; even in that slumber, however, it murmured and stirred in drowsy fits, as though whispering dreams into the crisp wintry air. And, of course, there were the evergreens -- those that stood watch over the slumbering earth, their bright and clear psalm of resolve lending notes of strength and surety to the chorus ringing through the old Faunus' heart.
And, of course, there were other songs, too. It was those that drew him now as he approached the crowded line eager to get into the Holiday Formal. He could hear them as he approached the door, the old familiar carols mingling with the murmur of voices in a way that brought him back to when he'd been a much younger man. This was, after all, not only his first Beacon holiday party in several decades, but his first as a staff member -- there were sure to be memories, new and old alike, throughout the evening. Dressed in a fine holly-green shenyi-style (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenyi) robe trimmed with white accents and wearing a conical rice-weave hat with a thin wreathe of fake greens and bright red berries sewn in to the outer edge, the old doctor looked every bit like a Mistrali holiday tale brought to life, complete with silver bells jingling lightly from atop his gnarled wooden staff and a mysterious sack slung across his back. More than a few people turned to stare as he joined the line to get in, much to his amusement.
"A happy and healthy holiday to you, miss Blossom!" Budonoki greeted his fellow cat-Faunus, absolutely jolly as he glanced in at the festivities. "Why, the celebration looks marvelous! Well done! It warms this old man's heart to see what you've put together here tonight."
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Azzar walked towards the venue, her footsteps alternating between the soft click of a high heeled shoe and a more metallic clang of her artificial leg, which she had modified to at least give the impression of a high heeled shoe. Why did he want to meet here? I can't stand these things. She wondered as she walked through the doors. he wore a sleeved, shimmering silver dress and long elbow-high gloves, so that just the elbow joint of her gunmetal grey right arm was visible. She had done her hair in such a way that it fell, quite perfectly, she thought, over the eye-patch that covered her right eye, as well as most of the rest of the scarred half of her face. I really should just tell him to screw, I've done my time.
She nodded to the greeter, walking straight for the punch bowl and getting herself a cup. She tasted it, found it far too sweet for her taste, and decided to opt for water instead. She threw the cup out and got herself a glass of water, moving over to the side of the room, over by Abigail, coincidentally, and found herself a seat. She pulled her purse up onto her lap, removing a small flask and taking a sip from it, the bite of the whiskey warming her stomach. She followed it up with a sip of water, and sighed, settling down to wait for her contact.
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Lilla had been standing outside the ballroom for quite some time, idly twirling her lock of red hair between her fingers, slightly swaying back and forth as if about to leave one moment, then about to enter the next. She wore her lilac dress self-consciously, as if she believed all the other students were staring at her as they walked in. She stood there as the severely-underdressed but very excited boy in the Santa hat had run by, she had almost been run over by the baker and his assistant as they quickly passed with the foodstuffs.
She furrowed her brow and let go of her hair. "This is silly," she thought. "It's cold. Everyone's already seen me. Just... just do it." Stiffening her shoulders, she stepped toward the door and around the food carts as the gentlemen talked with the girl at the door. She offered a small bow and wave as she passed, not wanting to interrupt, but also not wanting to be rude, and moved into the ballroom behind another group of students. "My legs are cold," she thought, wishing she had worn a dress longer than just to her knees. But there was nothing for it, now that she had passed the door.
She was at the refreshments table, pouring herself a glass of punch, when she overheard the boisterous man from the door suggest to his young companion that they also get some punch. Before she realized it, she had already set her glass down and had grabbed two others and begun to fill them.
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Choosing the safe path of walking around the room using the wall to stabilise himself Calen slowly but surely made him way to his goal, one of the kegs of mulled wine he had prepared earlier. Managing to make his way without making too much scene he found himself in front of a new face, well new back of the face anyway. Blond, little bit shorter than himself and clearly not the most comfortable given how she was shifting and fidgeting. 'Might want to try something warmer dear. Always makes these things a lot easier.' Calen remarked playfully to Lilla as he pointed at the mulled wine. The socially awkward were always so fun to play with and he knew from past experience that it was always worth trying to slip under the shell.
'Shrike, Calen Shrike. I haven't seen you around much. How are you finding the party.' Calen asked pouring a second glass for Lilla. He put on a comforting smile and tried to put the nervous girl at ease. Using the hopefully growing conversation as a excuse to look behind Lilla and examine the quickly filling room. There where a lot of faces he recognised, a few he didn't, mentally noting the latter Calen then gave a simple nod to the former. Social interaction and drinking both seemed to be doing a good job of keeping Calen's mind on the present, magnifying his alcohol infused good mood.
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"You forget how cold it can get when you're always wearing pants and a jacket," Lilla replies out of hand, putting down the punch ladle and handing two glasses of punch to two passing students, nodding in reply to their thanks. She suddenly notices that those students weren't the boisterous man and his assistant, so she quickly gulps down the drink Calen offered and goes back to pouring another pair of glasses. A shiver passes through her body as it processes the drink, but she ignores it.
"Lilla Bleidd," she says, then steals a glance at Calen out of her peripheral. Her eyes widen slightly as she realizes she's talking candidly with another student. "It, uh... it's nice. Here. In here, I mean. It's warmer than outside." She trails off at the end. Yes, because ambient temperature is what decides the quality of a party, Lilla silently chides herself.
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They'd only just begun making their way towards the refreshments when a familiar face showed up at the table -- even in a room full of formal wear Calen managed to stand out just a little bit extra, though at the moment that may have been down to his height more-so than attire. He began talking to a girl who was almost as pale and tall as he was; Rory didn't know the speed-Semblanced first year all that well, but based on looks it wasn't hard to imagine the two might be related. The conversation that played out, however, suggested this was their first encounter.
"Hey, Calen! Happy holidays." It was good to see a familiar face -- it would make getting through the evening a bit easier. Momentarily forgetting his boss was right beside him, Rory made his way over to join Calen at the table. "Haven't seen you much since that crazy mission protecting Cami Unis. How've you been?" He turned to offer a friendly smile and handshake to Lilla. "Rory Vogel, Team VCVS. Not sure we've met."
Suddenly, the shield-fighter's nose picked up a faint hint of alcohol. It didn't take too long to tell where it was coming from, at least not when he noticed that Calen seemed just a little bit... unsteady. Eyebrow raised and voice dropping to a whisper, Rory leaned towards Calen slightly. "Are you... drunk?"
Chuckling with amusement, Mr. Chadwick suddenly stepped into the mix. "Cut the guy a break Rory -- it's the holidays! Besides, sneaking in a little something special to the holiday formal is practically a Beacon tradition!" The baker gave Calen an approving smile and a nod.
It took a moment for Rory to fully process what his boss was implying. "... You didn't."
"You bet I did." From the folds of his coat Chadwick produced a bottle of Scotch, the gold-amber liquid catching the light just so. Careful not to let it be too visible, he turned to Calen with a grin that was halfway between festive and wicked. "Calen, was it? You seem a smart sort. I bet you know which drinks here could benefit from a touch of liquid gold, am I right?"
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Blair eventually got up and noticed Abigail sitting alone with a frown. She walked over and tapped her on the shoulder. "Hi. What is wrong? You look a bit upset. I know we don't know each other but mind if I ask why?" She gave a soft smile before sitting down next to the girl.
Merletta watched as both Chadwick and Budonoki walk in. She gave a small signal to Budonoki before walking over to Chadwick. He had just pulled out the Scotch when Merletta walked over. She raised a hand and smacked the bottled away from him, hearing it hit the ground and shatter into bits. The stench of the liquor was strong enough the cause heads to turn. "Alec Chadwick, what the hell are you thinking? Bringing Scotch to an event like this. At least learn from your past you idiot." She scolded him before pulling out a cigarette from her clutch and lighting it. "At least show a bit of decency. Now if you will excuse me, I need to ask the doctor something." She walked off, giving a couple puffs to her cancer stick. She subtly pulled Budonoki away from Lily and into a more quiet spot of the room. "Dr. Sophos, I did not see you at Samantha's funeral. Was it too much for you to take a bit of time away from what ever the hell you do? But enough of that. I've been tinkering with an idea in my head. With all the advances in science and tech, could one, theoretically, reanimate a person using enough tech. Just hypothetically thinking." She seemed a bit to focused on the topic.
Eventually, Lily found a way to sneak off from the greetings to get ready on stage. Underneath her dress was a performance outfit. She cleared her throat and turned on the mic. The ambient music shut off and she walked onto the stage. "Thank you all for coming tonight. This celebration is not just for current and former Beacon students, but our friends from all the kingdoms. We are all one family and we should be together for the holidays. I hope you can all love your fellow man. Please continue with your conversations, I'll be back to speak again in a couple moments. Thank you." She smiled then shut off her mic, causing the music to begin again.
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Calen frowned at the mention of the temperature and how it was bothering Lilla. At least 40% a gentleman Calen went to remove his own jacket and place it around Lilla's shoulders. The piece of clothing seemed to sit rather well her given both of them had rather emaciated forms. Quickly noticing Lilla's hesitation upon seeing him Calen manoeuvred himself to be side on to the timid girl, banking on her confidence returning the more they talked. 'Not used to the cold I take it? I must confess I rather enjoy it, much more than the heat anyway. So are you from Vale? You don't have an accent but then again you don't seem that used to the climate.' Calen continued in a soft tone, it wouldn't be the first time he had drawn someone out of their shell but it was the first time while drunk so it might not be as effective.
Looking up at the sound of his name Calen saw Rory making his way over accompanied by a much older and much larger man. 'Tidings of joy be upon you and yours Master Rory and I've been well, busy but well.' Calen responded thinking back to the intervening weeks, a lot had happened. Teddy had join ASTC and he had gotten into a fight with almost everyone on his team and then there was the mission with Malina which Calen still didn't know what to make of, particularly the prophecy. Calen banished those thoughts with another large gulp of mulled wine and turned to introduce his newly met companion. 'Please let me introduce Miss Lilla Bleidd.' Calen continued bowing in deference which wasn't 100% a joke.
Calen laughed at Rory's accusation of how intoxicated he was. 'I believe during the holidays it has a more sympathetic term... Embracing the Spirits perhaps? Or maybe Running Full Sails into the New Year.' Calen responded loudly with expressive hand gestures dispelling any of Rory's attempts at subtly. Turning to Alec Chadwick as he started to defend Calen the gaunt boy responded. 'That would make you Mr Chadwick, Rory mentioned you a few times and I've seen you around the bakery. And yes I do have something that could use a little bit....' Calen began reaching for the newly revealed bottle only to see it smashed to the ground by a passing woman. Letting out a defeated moan as the woman had a few words with Alec before storming off as quickly as entered.
As she let Calen brightened slightly. 'It's OK Mr Chadwick luckily for all of us I was the one preparing the drinks before. They should be strong enough to ensure a fun evening, even if most of us won't remember it.' Calen remarked happily taking a smaller sip of the mulled wine warming his hands. 'So have you two came up with any new recipes over the holidays? I imagine the colder months are quite the boom time for bakeries if people are wiling to brave the cold I suppose. Myself I haven't been able to cook much lately, between missions, recovery and performances I seem to have lost any semblance of free time.' Calen continued pouring glasses of mulled wine for both Alec and Rory.
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"Like I said, normally I have my own ja-" Lilla is cut off by the arrival of Rory and Mr. Chadwick, and then she realizes, belatedly, that she's not only avoided being seen as the help (and therefore ignored), she's gotten herself pulled into a conversation that she can't easily remove herself from. Her breath slows, steadies, as she forces herself not to panic. It's just a conversation, she thinks. You got this.
As she's thinking, the conversation continues. She's attentive enough to give a nod when Calen introduces her, and she's finally calmed herself enough to be about ready to say something. Suddenly, a passing woman scolds Mr. Chadwick and dashes the bottle to the ground, causing Lilla to give a small yelp of surprise. Upon seeing the spreading puddle of alcohol, she immediately reacts. Problem! The word blares through her head as she quickly looks around. Solution! Her hands dart to the nearby table, where a stack of napkins sits. She looks at the quickly spreading puddle and realizes there's no way she can contain it with the napkins, so she dumps them out in as wide an area as possible.
She's about to attempt to use her heels and the napkins to mop up the puddle. However, as she's reacting, the conversation continues, and she barely registers as Calen insinuates that he put alcohol into the punch. The punch that she had been handing out to people. The punch that she had just drank. Suddenly, the shiver down her spine made sense. She heard Lily begin her short speech and Calen begin to pour the others drinks, giving her time to think. Am I drunk? She thought. Did he get me drunk? No. I drank it. I got me drunk. He just gave it to m- he's kinda cute... No! Focus. Can I get drunk that fast? Is that something that happens? Oh, why didn't my parents let me practice drinking? I don't know what I'm dooooiiiing.... Her eyes flash grey for a moment, then back to their natural green.
After Lily's speech ends, she comes to a decision, steps back to the table where Calen has finished pouring the drinks for Rory and Mr. Chadwick, grabs one of the forgotten drinks she had poured for them, and holds it close in front of her with both hands. The others pause for a moment as she returns, and watch with... whatever those expressions are, she doesn't know. What am I doing? She thinks. Heh... do I ever know? "...Bottom's up?" she says to the others with an uncertain smile, and starts drinking.
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Um... Cat can almost smell the refusal to talk from Liliana. Not the greatest opening... and makes trying to finally shakes hands with Reginald from some sort of guilty pleasure to downright jerkass. Ok, it's jerkass either way, shame on you Catalina. He scratches his head now unsure of what to do. Oh wait, there's Blair. But, teams and stuff. But he still found himself walking towards her.
Sheer still didn't know who to talk to. Eh... ah, there's this boy who dressed in pink and white. He looks real chill, maybe we can crank something up? Sheer made his way to him but didn't know what to say. "Eh... I like your outfit? Seriously this is cool. Offers a different choice from the dumb suits."
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For a long moment, even with Lilla suddenly trying to leap in to clean up, all that Alec Chadwick could do was stare sadly down at the shattered remains of his Scotch. It was a shame to see a good drink wasted like that. Sighing, he tried to gesture to Lilla that he'd take care of cleaning up, though she may have been too focused to notice.
Wait, doctor...?
Stirred from mourning his lost booze, Alec turned to see where Merletta had gone and found Budonoki staring with surprised eyes back at him. The two men hadn't seen each other in years, not since... well, not since their team had broken up following the death of Sienna Andraste. They were both aged and weathered for the passage of years, but even with the extra wrinkles they knew each other at a glance. Doctor Budonoki... well, wasn't that something! Chadwick couldn't help but chuckle, giving a wave and a nod to his old teammate to suggest they'd talk when he was done with Merletta.
"Who was that?" Rory, still a bit in shock over the whole scene, couldn't help but ask when he finally found his voice.
"Old friend. Sort of. Not really that old, not compared to me anyway. She..." He searched for the right words while stooping to help mop up Scotch and pick through shattered glass. "She met me during a bad stretch of my life. Saved my old ass on more than one occasion, too. She's a bit rough around the edges, but seems to have good reason for what she does. Ah, oh well. It'll be a fine party even without the Scotch!"
After pushing the mess out of the way under the table -- he'd be back around to clean it up properly in a bit -- Alec took the offered glass from Calen and raised it in a toast. "Cheers!"
Seeing Alec again after so long came as a complete surprise -- he'd had no idea his former teammate was living in Vale, much less that he'd be coming to tonight's event. Once he recovered himself, Budonoki realized that Merletta was still staring at him, expectantly waiting for an answer. He fumbled and stuttered for a moment, trying to organize his thoughts, but by the time he had something to say Liliana had taken to the stage. The moment's respite was enough to recenter himself, and when the conversations in the room started back up he was mentally steady again.
"Miss Yoru -- Merletta -- my deepest apologies. It was never my intent to slight you or your teammate with my absence; by the time I found out about the funeral it was too late for me to be in attendance. May she rest in peace." He paused and put down his small wool sack, trying to process what she was asking of him. "What's this business about -- dear me -- reanimating the dead? Goodness! Hypothetical or otherwise, do tell me you're not considering such things? Yes, there is technology such that could, perhaps, crudely cause a body to imitate some functions of life, but past a certain point it's just not... the degenerated neural tissues alone, to say nothing of the brain... and that's just simply physiology, my dear! The soul has to be considered as well. No... with certainly, Merletta, the dead can not be brought back in anything more than a cruel mockery of life. I... I am sorry, truly."
"To answer your questions," Chadwick, after a quick draught of mulled wine, was immediately back in good spirits. "You're completely right: wintertime is a boon to bakeries, if you handle it right. Ingredients can get a touch scarce but demand goes way up, and there's always people looking for something new and interesting to add to their festivities. I've been experimenting with a few varieties of Vacuan traditional sweet-&-savory flatbread that go great with a spread of honeyed apple chutney. Haven't quite got it right just yet, but you can decide for yourself if you'd like." He nodded in the direction of the baked goods trays. "Third tray down, right along the edge next to the sword-shaped gingerbread cookies."
Belatedly accepting his glass from Calen -- it's just one, he rationalizes, and it is the holidays after all -- Rory joins Lilla in taking a few uncertain sips. "Sorry about... all that." He says to her, deliberately not asking about the momentary flash of gray across her eyes. The situation was awkward enough as it was, regardless of how readily Chadwick and Calen seemed able to play it off. The shield fighter could feel his own social discomfort beginning to prickle across the back of his neck, not really knowing what to do or even say in a situation like this.
The dry flavor of the alcohol wasn't really that strong, but hard to ignore once he was looking for it. Rory found himself staring with surprise at his glass -- belatedly realizing that he hadn't actually had alcohol until just now. "That's... kinda strong?" He had no idea what it was supposed to be like, honestly.
-
Nodding at the Azzar as she sits down and giving a small smile, she almost jumped when her shoulder was tapped. Listening to Blair, after a few moments she shook her head at the blue haired faunus, "I'm fine. Just completely unsure why I attended. Not got my armor to hide in either, so kind of just stuck wearing this." With that she would gesture to her clothing, smiling after a few seconds of looking down and looking up at him, "How about you? You surviving this party so far? Been drinking the probably spiked drink?"
-
Lilla barely registers Rory for a bit as she continues sipping from her punch. However, his comment about the strength of the alcohol was just so... uncertain. So awkward. She stares at him for a moment, her face reddening. Don’t laugh. Don’t be mean. Don’t laugh. Don’t be m- She fails to stifle a giggle, then another, and before long she’s full-on laughing.
”I’m sorry,” she tries to say, interrupted by her own laughs. ”I’m really sorry, I don’t know what’s so fun-“ She can’t even finish her sentence, as it’s cut off by more giggles. Lilla doesn’t know if it’s the drink, or if it’s meeting someone as awkward as she is, but for the moment she feels better.
-
'I'll have to take a look.' Calen responded to Alec. In truth of course he wouldn't, even in his inebriated state Calen's principles on the matter would remain rigid regardless or perhaps because of their ridiculousness. Positioning himself out of the way of the cleaning crew and sipped quietly away while at the conversation lulled. Off in the distance he could hear muffled chatter but wasn't really bothered to examine the two closely even if it was between a teacher and a woman who had cost him a bottle of liquor. Once most of the mess had been cleared up Calen turned back to Alec to continue talking. 'So Mr Chadwick do you have advice for us hunters-in-training? I'm sure a huntsman of your calibre must have a lot of lessons and stories stored up.' Calen remarked half from true interest and half to see where Rory and Lilla would go if undisturbed.
Pay slight attention to his surroundings, Lily looked like she was pushing the proceedings along. He wondered if there would be dancing, a little bit of drinking, well a little bit more drinking, and a little bit of dancing could make the night very interesting. Even if it's only to see people struggle even with basic movements.
-
Razzy looke up from the warm cup of mulled wine he had poured himself earlier, and gave the boy in front of him a big smile. "Oh, hi! Oh, yeah, hah, I don't... actually have a suit. I usually dressed up as an elf back for christmas at home, but my elf outfit is still with my mom... Oh! We haven't met before!"
Razzy extended his empty hand towards Sheer, offering a handshake. "I'm Razzy!" the boy said with a chipper tone.
Anza stood there, her hands clasped together in front of her, smiling and overlooking the party. She stood there. And stood there. Without moving her head, she slid her eyes to the side to look at a clock on the wall, to see that she had been standing there for fifteen minutes with no real interaction.
The bowgirl screamed internally.
What the hell is wrong with you, Anza? You came here to hang out with people your age for once, and this is what you do? You're a grimm-slaying, tree-hopping, bow-toting badass! This is just socializing! You got this, girl! She hyped herself up internally, and took a deep breath.
She then turned on her heel, now facing the wall, and clasped her hands in front of her face. That's right, just need to... pretend it's one of those formal parties I used to go to all the time! Yeah!
She turned around again, now facing the crowd, puffing out her chest slightly... She couldn't hold that for long, however, as she realized a major flaw in her logic. She had gone to all those parties with her parents, and stuck to her mom most of the time. She had never actually socialized, not even with old people!
She turned towards the wall again. By this point, someone might have noticed the girl fidgeting and spinning around. She placed her hands together once more, her index fingers stretched out and poking the tip of her nose.
Alright, no... Don't think of it as one of those formal things! Think of it... More like a mission! Like fighting grimm! I'm just here to kick ass, and, along the way, meet the people I'm stuck here with! Yeah! Yeah, that's pretty much how I've met all my friends here so far!
But, of course, you couldn't just go out on a mission without preparation. So, if someone were to look towards her now, they'd see a girl with long, shaggy hair in a long dress throwing practice punches at a wall, while weaving from side to side.
Once she was sufficiently pumped up, she turned on her heel one last time and began her stride towards the middle of the room... Only run right into someone's back.
"SORRY, HI, I'M ANZA, NICE TO MEET YOU!" she blurted out, followed by a hiccup.
Smooth as ice.
-
Having spent the past hour indecisively loitering outside the event, Luna finally decides that she should at least try to go be social. No one seems to notice her as she casually walks around the outskirts of the crowd, taking in the gala's atmosphere until she reaches the food. She can barely think over the noise until she realizes that her left earbud is missing from her ear. N-No...not...please don't tell me i forgot... Luna searches the hidden pockets of her blue dress frantically, growing visibly more anxious. On the verge of a panic attack and unable to find her headphones to plug into her Scroll, Luna leans on a table with a bowl of punch, distressed at the realization she has no escape from the overwhelming social environment.
Trying to calm her nerves, she eyes the punch bowl, but immediately smells traces of alcohol. Luna turns away from the punch, opting for a daiquiri in the privacy of her dorm later that evening. Distracted by what flavor drink she should make later, Luna fails to notice that she is pushing on the edge of the table as she stands, causing the punch bowl to tip and spill it's contents all over her. Great... just my luck, Luna thinks. As she wonders why she even bothered to show up, a soaked, embarrassed, and lonely Luna silently shuffles over to the nearest table and sits down at it, looking defeated.
-
Blair finished talking with Azzir and began to walk around. Eventually she bumped into Anza. "Sorry. I didn't see you there. I'm Blair. Nice to meet you." She smiled as she turned to face Anza. She noticed the girl was a bit flustered. "You look a bit flustered. Anything wrong?" She gave the girl her hand
Lily saw Luna as she sat down and made a small B line to her. "You don't look alright, and you look a bit wet. I might have something for you to change into. I'm Liliana. Most just call me Lily. If you want something dry I'll take you back to a small place I have curtained off as a makeshift dressing room." She extended a hand and a smile out to Luna.
Merletta nodded at Budonoki's comment. "It's not something I plan on doing. It's more of a feeling I had when I went to visit her grave. It felt as though something was not right with my wife's grave. That you for your input. Now that I know something like that is possible, I might look into a couple of my contacts to find out if anyone is experimenting with ideas like that. Enjoy your night Sophos. You are a teacher here after all." She gave one small puff on her cigarette before reaching into a small handbag and pulling out a flask. "Go give this to Alec. It's a small apology for what I did earlier. Don't get me wrong. I don't give many out. I just had a small meltdown when there are children involved, but as seeing as how someone spiked the punch, there was no reason to shatter his liquor."
-
Budonoki mentally kicked himself when he heard Merletta refer to Samantha as 'my wife' -- it seemed that his assumption that the two had mertely been teammates and close friends far missed the mark, and he hoped he hadn't come off as insensitive in his ignorance. Accepting the offered flask with a nod, he attempted to save face. "I'm sure you meant well by it -- I shall have to have a few words with him myself. And... if there is anything I can do, Merletta, please don't hesitate to ask. Whatever the situation, I cannot help but feel that nothing good can come from tinkering with life and death so."
Lillia's laugh had certainly been a surprise; Rory's cheeks had flushed in embarrassment, but at the same time he felt the edges of his lips start to turn upwards. It was her laugh -- it wasn't judgmental or mocking, it just was... and it was infectious, too. What started with an embarrassed chuckle quickly turned into the young shield fighter laughing along with her without even rightly knowing why he was laughing. And for that simple and silly moment, all his discomfort and angst suddenly seemed so far away.
Maybe this would be a good holiday after all.
Alec waved Calen off. "Ah, I'm a washed-up old has-been. Had my day; the world is better off in the hands of the pros and people like you kids, honestly. Best advice I can give you? Live while you've got it. Don't let any old fart like me look down on you because of your youth, and take time to really enjoy the opportunities that life presents. The world has too many cares and worries, and things like that attract Grimm -- people need to remember to laugh, love, and be a little crazy now and again. But as far as hunting Grimm is concerned?" He leaned in a little closer, as if getting ready to share a secret. "If you're ever out there on your own and you find a coil of molted snake skin the size of a Bullhead... RUN." He took a sip of his mulled wine. "King Taijitu can get a lot bigger than people realize."
It was right about then that Luna had her incident with the punch bowl. Rory and Chadwick found themselves looking over as the musician, soaked with fruit juice, left for the solace of an empty table. "Ah, one sec Calen. Be right back." Pulling a clean towel from an underslung supplies drawer in the baked goods carts, the jovial baker brought it and a blackberry danish over to Luna and offered them to her with a soft smile. "Rough start to the night? Been there, trust me. Alec Chadwick, former huntsman and proprietor of 'Fabled Goods' bakery. You looked like you could use these."
-
Lilla's laughter slowly died down, a chuckle or two more escaping before she regained full control of herself. "So what's y-" she starts to say, before the Faunus in the blue dress drenches herself in the punch. Oh no! Lilla thinks, her heart going out to the poor girl, but her body seems to have other plans: she lets loose a laugh so hard she spills some of her drink out onto Rory's shoes. "Oh no!" she moans, quickly setting her drink down and reaching for more napkins. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to..."
However, there are no napkins left on the table. She belatedly remembers that she already threw them all on the ground to cover the broken bottle of scotch. Defeated, she swipes her drink back up from the table and hangs her shoulders as she takes another drink. "SO!" she repeats a little too forcefully, her back suddenly straightening comically quick. "Now that I've sufficiently embarrassed myself and covered your nice shoes in sticky punch, how was your year going before you met me?" She gives a smile to show she's joking, but her blush is clearly caused by more than just the alcohol at this point.
-
"Come on Camille! You look fine!"
"So you say."
"Look, blue looks good on you."
"As you've said."
"And red looks good on me! We're like, a yin-yang thing!"
"That feels culturally insensitive."
That was the banter of two newcomers to the holiday formal. A pair of girls, one with flowing scarlet red hair that seemed to glow like fire, a bright red dress with black accents, while the other had blond hair that was tied into a braided pony tail. She wore a plain blue dress with gray accents. The redhead was, well, "alive" for lack of a better term, constantly looking around at the other guests with expressive cheer, while the other...well, she looked...okay to be there.
They were known simply as Tristan and Camille, who hung out together mostly because they had nothing else to do.
-
Still in shock and somewhat surprised anyone noticed her, it takes Luna a moment to realize she's been approached, then another to comprehend what the other faunus girl and the older man have said to her. The girl had introduced herself as...Lily? Luna vaguely recognizes her as another first year, but the man she has never seen before. Maybe he's a parent of one of the others? Luna ponders, before remembering she has yet to respond. "Oh, um... thanks..." Luna takes the girl's outstretched hand and pulls herself up. "I-I'm Luna." Upon standing, Luna notices she has about five inches on the other faunus girl, with the exception of her cat ears. Luna then remembers the man...Alec, he had said.
Turning slightly so as to face both, Luna accepts Alec's towel, quickly drying her hair and part of her dress before noticing the enticing smell of blackberries and pastry. When she looks up to see Alec holding the danish in her direction, Luna greedily snatches the pastry and bites into it. It takes her a solid minute to realize the social implication of what she has just done. "Oh.. I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to... um..." Clearly flustered, Luna hangs her head in embarrassment, her right hand resting on her left arm just above her elbow. She tries to turn her face to hide her eyes welling up as she mentally scolds herself.
-
Awww look at the lost puppy. Calen thought to himself cruely at the sight of Luna struggling to make her way around the party while Alec dodged his question. Not entirely unexpected, there were plenty that Calen didn't want to talk about concerning his past so he could only imagine it getting worse once he reached Alec's age. Not a happy thought. Regardless whether because of the alcohol or Calen was simply getting better at moving on from these dark memories he still managed a half-genuine smile and nod as the huntsman-turned-baker finished his excuse. 'Got to learn your own lessons then huh?' Calen began, leaning back on the table to keep both Alec and Luna in his field of vision. 'My father always went on about that, would scold my siblings for helping me out with one of his tests. Oh well I suppose it's better this way, that means everything done; glory and mistakes are mine alone.' Calen responded chuckling away at his own private joke as Alec finished.
Noticing the wolf girl stumble Calen moved to get her away from his drink bowl but unfortunately couldn't get to Luna in time and only got to the bowl as the wolf faunus bathed in the sticky drink. 'I'm glad the punch went down so quickly but I didn't think people would use it as a bath substitute.' Calen jested as he stood back and watched Alec hand Luna a towel. Taking a more serious expression Calen pointed out. 'My dorm is pretty close if you want a shower to get all this off you. I'm sure Anna, my team mate, wouldn't mind you borrowing a dress either although she is a bit taller and has abysmal fashion sense.'
Although Rory and Lilla seemed to be getting along well if their laughter was anything to go by it did leave Calen two easily exploitable fellow students short. Eager to make up the difference even if it had to be with a faunus Calen would need to move quickly to ensure that the party was as memorable as possible but for all the wrong reasons.
-
"Now that I've sufficiently embarrassed myself and covered your nice shoes in sticky punch, how was your year going before you met me?"
Rory glanced down at his now punch-splashed shoes, not seeming particularly phased. "Don't worry about it, honestly. These are pretty waterproof; I'll just wipe them off later." He took another sip of the mulled wine, his face showing that he still wasn't quite adjusted to it yet. "As for my year... busy, complicated, all the standard Beacon fare. I'm Rory, by the way." He extended his free hand to Lilla.
"Oh.. I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to... um..."
Alec chuckled in a good-natured and slightly bemused fashion. "No worries -- I'm glad when my baking gets people excited!"
He was also glad to see Calen make his way over, offering some decent suggestions at that. Well, they could be decent; the old baker found himself remembering a few times he'd invited a lady friend back to the dorms... often with very mixed results. Ah, the vigor and tenacity of youth...
Still slightly stunned by the strange and jarring conversation with Merletta, Budonoki turned to see that his old teammate was otherwise occupied and decided to pass the flask off to him -- and catch up on all the years since they'd last seen each other -- when he had a free moment. As expected, the holiday formal was bustling... and the sagely old Faunus smiled to himself as he remembered that he had something to add to the festivities. Gingerly placing his burlap sack on a nearby unoccupied table, he drew out a handful of 'Snow Sparklers': a nifty indoor-safe pyrotechnic wand that, when lit, produced a small dancing blue-white candle flame and a shower of tiny "sparks" that turned into drifting snowflakes mid-air. The things that could be made with Dust never ceased to impress, certainly.
"Right, then -- with the spirit of the season." He chuckled to himself. Overhearing the back-and-forth of Tristan and Camille as they entered, the elderly Faunus turned to them both and offered each a sparkler. "Happy holidays, students!"
-
Tristan took the offered sparkler with a grin and a wink.
Camille...well, she took it, at the very least. There wasn't any sort of change in her facial expression, but Tristan seemingly covered for her;
"Oh, don't worry, she loves it." Tristan said with a wave of her hand.
"I love it." Camille said, deadpan.
"Ya see?" Tristan nudged Camille with her eblow, grinning all the while, "So how's the party professor?"
-
Lilla stared at Rory’s extended hand for a moment, before her own reached out, seemingly of its own accord. Touching, a voice somewhere in the back of her mind said. Touching! Red alert! Abort mission! ABORT MISSION! She grabbed Rory’s hand and shook it stiffly, with an uncertain smile.
“Lilla Bleidd,” she replied, then brought her hand back to two-hand her cup as she took another drink. “So... um... this is a... nice party...?” She slowly inched away from the still-expanding pool of punch on the ground, trying not to look like she was walking away from Rory. ”There’s dancing, and music. And punch!” She held up her drink and motions to it with a wide, awkward smile on her face. The punch splashed up and then back down into the cup, thankfully avoiding falling on either of them this time.
-
It seemed, from her handshake, that Lilla wasn't quite at ease with this whole scene -- Rory could relate only too well to that. When she started to back away from him slightly he wondered if it wasn't him who was making her uncomfortable... then she mentioned punch and his brain clicked back into gear. 'I'm making small talk while standing in a puddle of fruit juice -- I must seem like a complete airhead to her!'
"Ah, yeah... punch indeed." Remembering that he still had a couple of small kitchen cloths tucked away from handling hot trays earlier, Rory fished around in his pockets until he had hold of them and quickly knelt down to mop up the spilled punch that was spreading her way. "I'm, um, not usually one for events like these, but I guess it's a good way to meet people. I'm still trying to get a handle on who all the other first years are, to be honest."
Punch decently well cleaned up now, he tried quickly to figure out what to do with the damp soiled cloths, ultimately electing just to hold them for now instead of breaking away from the conversation at risk of being rude. As he stood up, though, Rory's mind went blank on what to say next, leading to a few moments of awkward silence before he finally managed "So... what kind of weapon do you use?".
It was good to see the students -- well, one so far, at any rate -- liked his festive gift idea. "Oh, well... for the most part." He still wasn't sure what to make of the odd exchange with Merletta earlier, but was doing his best to not dwell on it. The old Faunus smiled warmly. "This time of year always brings out the exciting and unexpected, to be sure. Truth be told, I've not been back for a holiday formal in... goodness me, decades now! Brings back memories, this."
"How about the two of you? Just coming in, I see. Big plans for the holiday season?
-
"Well..." Tristan coughed, "I was planning on mostly staying here for the most part. The holiday season...well, let's just say it doesn't bring back a lot of happy memories so..." Tristan turned her attention back to her sparkler and started fiddling with it, obviously trying not to continue that particular train of thought.
"...My family lives under a mountain." Camille said bluntly, "It's rather cold during the winter time."
"...Are you saying your just mooching off of Beacon's heaters?" Tristan asked.
Camille thought for a moment, then nodded, "Yes."